Stranger
by A-pair-of-mismatched-socks
Summary: Draco Malfoy is brooding on how life turned out on him. Then he sees her...and his life begins to change.


**Hello guys! This my first Draco/Astoria story, I've never even read one. I just had a sudden inspiration and wrote this. I don't know if this actually sucks but I'm proud of Astoria. R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not British, nor do I live in Edinburgh.**

Stranger

The party was in full swing. He could see his yearmates form Hogwarts in the center of all attention, well, the ones that fought from the 'good' side. There was Longbottom, dancing with Abbot. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were sitting quietly in a corner, a strange look on their faces, like they knew a secret which no one else did. He wondered where the reporters were.

They were all in the Christmas party held by the Ministry. Most people had stared at him when he arrived. Harry, with the unlimited invitations he could make, had invited the Malfoys. It was the second Christmas after the war, the world was healing. Not for everyone, not all. He could never make anyone understand, that what he had done was because he was scared. So was his mother. As for his father, he didn't wish to know. Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban in a life sentence. His family had done too much damage to make people forgive them. He regretted what they had done, but there was no turning back. How could he possibly tell everyone that he was sorry his father had assisted The Dark Lord in his crimes, that his parents had joined over to the dark side, that he was scared and fearful and foolish when he was forced to join? Harry, form his gratefulness to Narcissa, had saved Draco and her. Narcissa had apologized to Andromeada, trying to cling onto the only part of the family she had left. Draco would never understand what actually went between her mother and her two sisters. After all the bitterness and pureblood _crap,_ here she was behaving with her sister who married a _mud-blood_, as if nothing had happened. Though if one were to look closely, they'd notice the shadow cast over their eyes, the sadness which couldn't be removed.

Draco got up from his sitting position, filled his glass with more firewhiskey, got out and sat in a bench in the garden.

As a child, he'd been so sure that his father was always right, that his father could do anything he asked. He thought everything his father taught him was right. He was delusional, he knew it now. The Dark Lord was a psychopath, so was his Aunt Bellatrix. His father was power hungry, and shamefully, he knew he was too. He was a coward. Weasley had called him one, when they had saved his life during the last battle. Her mother had risked everything she had, saved Harry Potter's life, only to find out whether her son was alive. All because she loved him. The only person he loved in this whole wide world was his mother. Voldemort seemed devoid of that emotion too. Draco involuntarily shuddered; he couldn't imagine someone being like that.

Everyone hated him. Despite Harry and Andromeada's efforts on bringing the Malfoy family to 'socialize', he knew all of them hated him. He had engaged himself into work. Their family business was flourishing again, under his control. Work was what made him forget. Many people thought that he would become a drunkard and ruin his own life, as most of his fellow Slyhterins had done; those who stayed out of Azkaban. But no, he knew better. He had a chance to live in a better world, a good world, and he would make sure that no one remembered him for his dark deeds.

But he still couldn't bring himself to think he was a good person. He was a coward and had, however briefly, obeyed Lord Voldemort. What was done was done, he couldn't erase his past. And he didn't know what to do with his future. Working wasn't his life. He wanted a life.

'I'm sorry if I'm butting in, but why are you sitting alone here when there's a brilliant party going on inside?' the voice came from infront of him. Draco looked up to see a woman standing there.

A woman, who looked to be about his age, with dark hair and tanned skin, skin that he longed to touch, long fingers, fingers that he hoped to hold in his hands, a smile on her lips, lips that he craved to feel and eyes, dark brown eyes that he wanted to stare at forever...Draco Malfoy stood dumbstruck, he had never felt like this in his twenty years. This new and amazing and astounding feeling rendered him speechless.

'Okay, wrong question, new question: Can you hear me?' she asked, her face breaking into a huge smile. Draco nodded, still not speaking. 'Can you talk?'

Draco suddenly laughed, 'Yes.'

'Great then. You haven't answered my question. I'm Astoria by the way, Astoria Greengrass.'

'Draco Malfoy. I think my name answers your question.'

'How?' she looked confused.

'Really? You're telling me you've never heard the 'Malfoys are bad-keep away from them-even if they seem to be good, they're pretending-they're liars' story?'

'Erm, no.' Draco was startled. He didn't think anyone would be there who hadn't heard the 'Malfoys are evil' story. But then, he didn't think he could have this weird feeling either.

'Now don't tell me you've never heard of Lord ..Voldemort!' He couldn't believe he actually had the courage to say that out loud.

'I have. Isn't he the maniac who was obsessed with being a pure-blood and was a threat to the whole wizarding world? And Harry Potter defeated him?' That's when he noticed the different accent.

'Yes, that very one. Where are you from?' he asked.

'I was born in Australia, lived for a bit in Canada, went to school in the US, and am coming from India after spending six months in the sub-continent.'

He couldn't help noticing the way she talked; it seemed he was listening to a river flowing by.

_Great. You're falling for someone you barely know!_

_I already fell. No point in stopping now._

_You've gone insane Draco._

_That's okay, as long as I have her._

'I'd love to talk to you, but let me warn you first: I come from a family who believed Voldemort was right, my parents were death-eaters, and I'm branded as one. Most people hate me, and I used to be an arrogant jerk, an idiot and have a super inflated ego. No believes that I changed. So if you don't want to talk with me, you should run now,' he smiled helplessly, desperately wishing she'd put all that past her and be with him.

'That's interesting,' she sat beside him.

'How is that?' He was forgetting his guard; he already had when he set his eyes on her.

'Well, you come from a family which is probably known for working with Lord Voldemort-' 'It is,' Draco interrupted. 'Okay, so suppose your grandfather or father supported whatever was going on. That's why your family became known as Voldemort's supporters. Do _you _think he was right?'

'I don't know. I mean, when I was a kid, my father taught me stuff. I learned to think that magic should be within the pure-blood families. I..I..grew up with this belief, and I was a coward and idiot, I didn't learn to think for myself...Because now that I have finally learnt, I know it was all crap. But it's, it's too late. Look where I've landed.'

'Listen, what your ancestors have done are not your fault. You believe you're changed now, and I assume that you don't think along the same lines as them?'

'Yes. I don't.'

'Good. Then I won't run.' Both of them laughed. Draco marveled at her face, it looked so familiar. Not that he'd seen it before; it was just that he felt he _knew _her.

'So now, if you don't support Riddle's thoughts, and have a great chance at life infront of you, why aren't you trying to enjoy it?' she asked him.

'It's just that, everyone is building a new future, they have the past to support them. Whereas mine is more like a burden than a pillar, you get it? It's like, I'm...I'm branded, branded with it. I can't throw it away even if I want to. What am I living for?'

'Forget your past. It's of no use to you. You've regretted it enough. Now try to do something that'll make you happy in the future when you think about _now. _You have to live because you have been rewarded with a life to live for.'

'I have?'

'Yeah! You're alive, aren't you? You've been given the chance, celebrate! Create your own story!'

'You know, you have an interesting way of seeing things,' he told her.

'And why would you think that?'

'You like to rejoice for everything you have, you're always happy. You seem to have an aura of liveliness around you,' Draco said, unconsciously tucking a stray curl behind her ear. She blushed ever so slightly, it was hard to notice. But he did, and his conscience spoke again.

_You can't be this close to her! She's a stranger._

_She's not. I know her, and she knows me now._

_You're thinking rubbish._

_I'm not._

'I try to enjoy. And no, I'm not always happy. I have my own method of lifting my mood though.'

'If you don't mind me asking personal questions-'

'If anyone should be apologizing for asking personal questions, it's me. So stop apologizing.'

Draco smiled sheepishly, 'So how do you do that?'

'Me? Whenever I'm sad, I think of all the good things I have had, and I will have. Then you could always look around you. Happiness isn't hard to find, it's everywhere. You just have to look with your heart. You'll find it.'

'May be.' _May be__ I looked properly, because here you are. _'Do you have a boyfriend?'

She looked amused, 'Now that was a question completely out of the blue. No, I don't have a boyfriend.'

Draco stood infront of her and held his hand for hers to take, 'Dance with me?'

She took his hand. Together they went inside, danced with the slow music, talked about less serious things than they had before. Draco Malfoy started to get to know the woman he loved at first sight; Astoria Greengrass had approached him first since he intrigued her deeply, and she came to know the man of her dreams.

That was the beginning of _their story._

**AN: Like it/hate it, tell me!**

**An2: I just reread this and I don't know how so many spelling mistakes slipped me the first time. It should be readable now!**


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